Does the GPS and location using wireless network use any power when enabled but unused?

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I have an HTC Magic running Android 1.6. There are two settings for determining my location:
1. Usage of GPS satellites
2. Usage of wireless networks
Do any of them drain additional power when I'm not running any applications that query location information? Some people say yes and recommend turning them off until you need them. Others, like this post, claim that the GPS setting does not use power until an app uses the facility, but doesn't say anything about the wireless network setting.

Does anybody know for sure? I'd like to keep it on all the time so I can use apps like 'Where's my Droid'.

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May 24, 2010

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Neither uses power until something attempts to determine your location using one of the methods. There's nothing in the device itself that constantly attempts to determine your device's location.

Now, if you have some apps that utilize your location they can frequently attempt to determine your location (and eat up your battery). That's really another matter and it's up to you to be aware of such apps (e.g. Shop Savvy, Locale, etc).

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May 14, 2010

Wireless Network will kick on if you have background data and auto sync turned on. If not, then no, it will not do anything until you activate an app that needs it. Same with GPS. When on, it will sit idle unless a program needs it. I leave my GPS and Wireless Network on all the time and am getting 26+ hours on a charge (Droid Eris) with a good 4 or 5 hours of actual up time per charge (20% up time).

As long as you don't have something constantly updating it shouldn't be a problem. I have my weather updating every 30 minutes, mail updating every hour... contacts and calendar set to sync on command instead of auto...